The Lost Books of Avatar
by Farren O'Blivion
Summary: Set about 5 years after the end of the WAR. Pretty much includes everybody in the series and what they've been up to; beginning with Zuko. Please tell me if I'm off to a good, or at least an 'okay' start.
1. Prologue: The Firelord

_The Lost Books of Avatar_

Prologue: The Firelord

By: Farren O'Blivion

Dead. She was dead.

Firelord Zuko stared at his hands, his eyes traveling along the lines on his palms. They were bloodstained, spotted with crimson flecks. He stood and crossed to the water basin atop the dresser. He paused, his hands poised over the bloody water. He fingered a bloodstained cloth crumpled beside it.

Blood, everywhere, blood. _Her_ blood.

_Dead. She's dead,_ Zuko thought, his head muddled, looping that one simple fact. _And I'm about to wash what's left of her off of my hands... Like dirt, like nothing... _His hands balled into fists, then suddenly slackened. He stared at his reflection in the sanguine water. _Does it matter? She's **dead.**_

He plunged his hands into the basin and scrubbed them together roughly, tinged liquid sloshing over the rim.

_After everything!_ his mind screamed_. After all the fighting, the running, the hiding she dies **now**! _He reeled back, hands dripping. _After I abandoned her, she found me! She saved me! She **loved **me! _He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, forcing the tears back. He ran his hands down his face, nails biting into his flesh, scraping across his scar.

_I loved **her** and she left me! _His wild eyes fixed on the bed, _their_ bed. The servants had already stripped the sheets after her body had been taken away. Zuko moved toward it in a trance, mesmerized by the stain in the middle where she'd lain, where she'd died...

A low keening moan forced it's way out of him, gripped his heart. _Why did you leave me, Mai?! _He fell to his knees, the pain of her loss crushing him. _We fought for so long... We fought so hard to get here, to be together... Mai... Imprisoned, torn apart... Plagued by treachery and lies! But we were always true, always meant to be! I don't know what to do without you, my love, my Queen..._

"Zuko..."

He turned automatically at the sound of his name but did not rise. He neglected to wipe the tell-tale tear streaks from his face.

"Mother."

Queen Ursa stepped forward, her long crimson robes sweeping the floor as she approached him. "My son... My Zuko..." She knelt beside him and reached out with one hand, gentle fingers skimming his brow, stroking his cheek.

"Mother... She's dead!" Zuko cried helplessly. "What do I do now?! How do I go on without her?!"

"Shh, shh my Zuko," Ursa soothed. "Your Queen is gone but not forgotten. You will not be without her. Look here."

Zuko finally took notice of a small bundle, wrapped in golden silk, in his mother's arms. "The... the child? It lives?" he whispered.

"Yes, he lives," Ursa said, gently shifting the bundle into Zuko's arms. "Your son lives, Zuko. Mai's son..."

The young Firelord peered at the baby he held, his golden eyes devouring the child's face, the shock of pitch-black hair peeking out from under a fold of silk. "Her son..." Zuko breathed, bringing the boy closer and inhaling his scent. As he pulled back, the baby opened his eyes and Zuko gasped. They were the exact same shade of pale amber as Mai's...

"Our son..." Zuko said, a small sad smile touching his lips.

"He's beautiful, Zuko," Ursa murmured, again caressing the man's cheek. "Just like his mother."

"Yes... Beautiful..."

"What is his name, my son?"

Zuko ran his fingers down the child's plump face before his index was captured in a tiny fist. His smile widened, turned a little less sad as the baby popped the digit into his toothless mouth. "Maiko," the man said, his eyes never leaving those of his infant son. "His name is Maiko, Crown Prince and heir to the Fire Nation throne."

Ursa nodded in approval. "A fitting name, my son." She rose and lovingly brushed a hand across his hair. "This day of tragedy shall also be a day of celebration. Queen Mai is gone, but not forgotten... No," she said, gazing down at her grandson's minuscule features. "Never forgotten." She gathered her robes. "I will leave you with your son, Zuko, and make the necessary arrangements."

"Thank you, Mother," he said, looking up at her, eyes shining with tears. Ursa knew they were mixed tears; some in grief, some in joy. She smiled gently at him, bent, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He grasped her hand briefly, grateful for her comfort, her support.

"I will write your uncle, your friends," Ursa assured. She swept from the room and Zuko turned back to the child in his arms.

"Maiko, my son..." He extracted his finger from the boy's grasp and cradled his head, lifting him up to his face. Gently, he rubbed his nose against the infant's own, something his mother had done with him as a child. "Maiko, my little Maiko..."


	2. Chapter 1: Reunion

_The Lost Books of Avatar_

Chapter 1: Reunion

By: Farren O'Blivion

He knew they were coming long before they arrived; his guards tipped him off as soon as they were spotted flying over the border. Emotions raged within him; he wanted to see them, he really did... but just the thought of their pity, their _condolences _made his heart grow, if possible, even heavier than it already was. He felt like it had been steeped in exhaustion and it almost made him smile. _What an odd metaphor._

He finally decided to just meet them head-on.

When the giant Air-Bison landed in the palace courtyard, Zuko was ready for them, hands clasped behind his back, face calm. Katara was the first to approach him.

"Zuko..." her soft greeting trailed off. She reached for him, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, gripped lightly. "I'm sorry. She will be missed." Her cobalt eyes misted over.

Zuko merely nodded. He had already shed his tears, there was nothing left in him now, only a dull ache. "Ty-Lee is inside. Perhaps you could... try and cheer her up. She's not been herself since..." The usually insufferably cheerful acrobat was now despondent, quiet, even her hair seemed less perky to the young man.

Katara nodded. "Of course." She began to step around him but stopped. "I... I'm sorry I wasn't here for her, Zuko."

Zuko's face remained impassive. "I doubt it would have made a difference, Katara. She... just wasn't _built_ for child-birthing."

"The child?" Her voice was so soft, almost inaudible.

"Healthy," Zuko assured. His voice lightened. "He looks just like her."

A small smile ghosted over her lips. "We all thought 'Maiko' was a wonderful name..."

"Thank you."

"I'll see to Ty-Lee, now." She went inside.

Aang walked slowly forward, Sokka and Suki following closely behind. Zuko examined the young Avatar with a critical eye; he was a bit-- a _lot _taller now, his body still as lithe as ever, his face had narrowed a bit, cheekbones and jaw more defined. He'd been a boy of twelve at their first encounter and now... he was a man. Zuko himself was just barely twenty-one. He did the math in his head. _Aang is... eight and ten summers now. Has it really been six years? It seems like so much time has passed, but at such a slow rate..._

He was pulled from his musing by the Southern Water Tribe swordsman clearing his throat uncomfortably. "We're sorry for your loss, Zuko..." He trailed off.

"Mai was a very talented warrior," the Kyoshi warrior said. Zuko knew that this was meant as a high compliment. He bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"Yes. Though I suppose some battles just aren't meant to be won." He saw the two exchange glances. He hadn't meant to be so morbid, but it didn't matter. He was sure that if Mai had heard, she wouldn't have minded. She'd always had a rather twisted outlook herself, after all.

Aang seemed to understand. He lightly poked the young fire-bender with his glider-staff. "Sometimes, even defeat is accompanied by a blessing," he said sagely. "How is your little Maiko?"

Zuko smiled. "Princely."

Aang chuckled. "I imagine your uncle has taken quite a liking to him?"

Zuko rolled his eye. "That would be an understatement. He's already threatened to whisk him off to Ba Sing Se and raise him as a tea-server." They shared a laugh before Zuko sobered. "Toph couldn't make it, then?"

"She's... she's still on Appa," Aang admitted. "She hasn't spoken a word to anybody since the news came. Momo's keeping her company."

"Ah." Zuko reflected on the bond that had formed between the blind earth-bender and his wife. Their quick friendship had surprised everyone, including Zuko. But it made sense. Though Toph was the same age as the light spirited Avatar, she possessed a well developed sense of dark humor, something she shared with the older Mai. Both strong, unyielding women, they'd become close friends over the last five years. _Toph must feel awful, right now. Mai had wanted her here for the birth... It's not __**her **__fault the birth came early or that Mai... Mai lost the battle..._

He glanced toward the Air-Bison, now contentedly munching on a mountain of fresh alfalfa. "I can try and talk to her."

The others exchanged sullen looks. "You can _try_," Sokka said. "But I guarantee she won't listen."

"Sokka," Suki admonished.

"Well, it's true!" the young man insisted. "We've _all _been trying to talk to her but when Toph is miserable, Toph _stays_ miserable."

Suki shook her head and tugged at her husband's arm. "Let's find Katara." She paused, turned back to the Firelord, bit her lip uncertainly. "We weren't the best of friends, and I don't think we ever _completely _trusted each other, but... I'm sorry she's gone."

Zuko again bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Gone, but not forgotten. Thank you, Suki." He smiled as his gaze shifted to the Water Tribesman. "I think Ty-Lee will be happy to see _you_." There was just the slightest emphasis on the word.

Suki frowned and nodded briskly before dragging a suddenly reluctant Sokka through the palace door. Zuko and Aang looked at each other and shared a devilish chuckle. Though Ty-Lee had been welcomed into the Kyoshi fold, she'd made a rather _tipsy_ spectacle of herself at Suki and Sokka's wedding the previous summer. Suki held no grudge but Sokka was far more wary of the Kyoshi-initiate than he had been.

"Hopefully _that _will cheer our dear Ty-Lee," the Firelord murmured.

Aang gestured toward Appa with his glider-staff. "I think you _should _try talking to Toph," he said, back on task. "I think she might actually listen to you."

"Indeed?"

"Well, how can we expect to comfort someone successfully when they don't believe we understand how much they're hurting? You and Toph are the deepest in grief, now. And besides, hasn't Toph always wanted her very own Zuko-field-trip?" Aang asked, a smile touching his lips. He rested his hand on the Firelord's shoulder, serious again. "You're both hurting, now. And neither of you should be alone. '_Life is weaker than death, but death is weaker than love_.'"

Zuko marveled at his young friend. "A proverb, Avatar? Have you been talking to my uncle?"

Aang grinned, almost sheepish. "Iroh is a very wise man, you know."

"Indeed." He returned the grin. "My favorite was, 'Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?'"

Aang snorted in laughter and shook his head. "Pirates." He glanced over his shoulder toward Appa and his lone passenger. "We hadn't met Toph yet."

"I'll talk to her," Zuko assured him. "This is a time for grief but also a time for rejoicing. Toph should meet her surrogate nephew."


	3. Chapter 2: By Touch

_The Lost Books of Avatar_

Chapter 2: By Touch

By: Farren O'Blivion

She had, of course, heard whoever-it-was coming long before they'd flopped over the edge of the Air-Bison's saddle. Being blind had certainly sharpened her other senses. And Appa's welcoming groan had been a rather helpful tip-off as well.

She said nothing as the newcomer settled more comfortably across from her, straightened their robes with minimal rustling, and gently fended off an excitedly chattering lemur-bat.

There was a low chuckle. "Yes, yes," the newcomer intoned. "I missed you, too, Momo. Well... sort of, anyway." Appa huffed loudly. "And you, as well, old friend!"

Toph remained silent as the voice continued nonchalantly. "Well, Toph, they tell me you haven't spoken since... for quite some time. Uncle will be rather put-out, he was very much looking forward to your company," Zuko prattled, masking his uncertainty at what to say. "But I suppose conversation isn't necessary while drinking tea and playing Pi-Sho." He shooed Momo away from his pocket; the creature jibbered indignantly for a moment before taking flight toward the palace. "Speaking of which, I was planning a short visit to Uncle's shop in Ba Sing Se, after... afterward. Would you care to accompany us? The rest of the Gaang is coming along, too, of course. It'll be like a mini-vacation, a field-trip, you might say—"

"_Sparky_." Toph's voice was hoarse, scratchy from disuse. "_You're rambling._"

The young Firelord smiled slightly, well-accustomed to the earth-bender's bluntness. Mai had been the same way. The familiarity eased his nerves. He leant forward and reached for her hand, only vaguely surprised when she didn't pull away.

"Hello, Toph," he amended, brushing her fingertips across his scar. "Did you miss me as much as I missed you?"

"It's possible," she replied, bringing her other hand up to explore the contours of his face. "But not _probable_. Are you trying to grow a beard?" Talented as she was, Toph could sense only so much through her bending and over the years, she'd taken to touching the faces of those she wished to 'see' in her mind's eye; namely, her friends.

Her jaw suddenly tightened and she pulled back, turned away. Zuko did not take offense; he'd seen the tear-streaks on her cheeks, smudged and dirty, and he resisted wiping them away. Though considerably more laid-back now that she wasn't trying to prove herself completely self-sufficient, Toph was still a very tough, unyielding young woman, uncomfortable with overly-emotional displays.

The coil of agony in his chest loosened somewhat. Mai... had been the same way.

"Toph, I..." Zuko's voice caught and he breathed deeply through the surge of emotion, debating with himself on whether he should continue. The girl glanced back at him with milky eyes, frowning at the hitch in his breathing. "I'm so glad you're here," he confessed. "I just don't think I could have made it through this... _this_... without you, without _her_!"

He broke off on a sob but quieted at the feel of her fingers once again upon his scar. He looked up at her, the tears he'd thought spent now coursing freely down his face.

Tears shimmered like pearls in the corners of the earth-bender's eyes, but did not fall. "I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner, Zuko," she whispered.

His hand came up to cover hers, pressing it solidly against his damp skin. "You're here now, that's all that matters," he said on a sigh. He shut his eyes, taking comfort in her touch, rough and calloused as it was. She smelled of earth and pine and he breathed in the familiar scent of her, the coil in his chest loosening further. "I miss her so much, Toph," he said, voice calm, collected, matter-of-fact. "I feel so lost without her... I wonder what to do with myself, my kingdom..." He finally removed her hand from his face but kept ahold of it, unconsciously threading his fingers through hers. "I wonder what to do with my son, Toph."

The girl frowned, at a loss for words, ashamed now; she'd forgotten about the child, more preoccupied with the pain of losing Mai. "Is it—_he_, I mean..." Toph sputtered. "Is he... well?"

Zuko smiled. "He's fine. Very charming, actually." Toph could hear the smile in his voice. "Takes after _me _in that respect." She snorted and the young man laughed. "Oh, you must meet him, Toph, to see for yourself!"

Toph, in a characteristic move, waved her free hand in front of her own milky stare: _Hello! Blind girl, here! _It was a trademark of hers, very endearing.

Zuko captured her hand and stood, pulling her up with him. "I was going to introduce him after the Gaang had rested a bit, but _you_ can meet him now, before the others." He paused and brushed her fringe away from her sightless eyes. "Mai would've wanted it that way."

Toph's cheeks flushed in shame and guilt. _I doubt it, Sparky.

* * *

_

Toph silently followed Zuko through the palace halls, berating herself all-the-while. _I'm sorry, Mai! I didn't mean to __**forget**__ about him, I just... _They passed several private chambers and she could feel their occupants moving about. _Oh, there is __**no**__ excuse. I stopped listening the moment they told me you'd... gone. I'm horrible and selfish and I don't even remember the thing's—err... the __**baby's**__ name. Forgive me, Mai._

"In here," Zuko said, pushing open a large, solid door that stretched from floor to ceiling. "This is the nursery. Feel free to stomp around, get a sense of the place." She could hear him smirking. There was a girlish giggle from the corner. Zuko tensed in surprise. "Ah. Hello, Ty-Lee. What are you doing in here?"

A creak, a rustle, then light steps across marble. "Avoiding Katara. _And_ Suki. Hello, Toph. How are you?"

"Hullo, Ty. What did the Sugar Queen do to you this time?" _No need to ask about Suki_, Toph thought, remembering the sound of splintering bamboo and the shattering of many, _many _ice-plates.

"Oh, she's trying to cheer me up, and it's not that I don't appreciate her efforts, I _do,_ it's just... I think I'd rather be miserable right now," Ty-Lee sighed. "You know, as sort of a tribute to Mai."

There was silence for a moment before Zuko cleared his throat uncomfortably. "My apologies, Ty-Lee. I had asked Katara to... I didn't realize... It's just so unlike you to..."

The nimble young woman giggled again. "It's okay, Zuko. I know you were just trying to help. Thank you." She suddenly skipped back over to the corner where a huge bassinet stood. Toph tapped her toes and felt the presence of a small form inside the bassinet; the baby, no doubt. "I was just telling the little prince here stories about his mom."

"Oh?"

"Yes. He just learned _all_ about the time his mommy saved his daddy's butt by taking on, not only several prison guards at once, but also his Crazy Aunt Azula! Yes, she did, Little Prince," Ty-Lee exclaimed in a sing-song voice, reaching into the bassinet to tickle the baby's tummy. "She did, indeed!"

Zuko's heart stuttered as he thought back on that day on the Boiling Rock. He remembered his shock when Mai had turned on the guards, granting him, Sokka, Suki, and Chief Hakoda just enough time to escape on the gondola. He remembered Azula's screech of rage, her frantic shouts to 'stop them!' And though they'd been far away by the time it came to pass, Mai's defiant proclamation had seemed to echo across the gorge and smash into his very soul: ..._I love __**him **__more than I fear __**you**__! _There was no turning back by that point, of course, but _oh_ how he'd wanted to!

He'd hold those words of hers forever. _Forever in my heart, Mai, forever in my soul._

"Zuko?"

With a start, the young fire-bender realized he'd unconsciously crossed the room and was now standing over his son's bassinet. Ty-Lee's hand was upon his arm. He smiled at her in reassurance before glancing over his shoulder. Toph had not moved, she seemed almost statue-like in her stillness, rooted to the polished floor. Gently, Zuko scooped his son from the elaborately large bassinet, cradling him to his chest as he turned toward his stationary friend. He saw her face pale as she felt the shift of energies.

"Toph," he soothed as he approached. "This is Maiko."

Her nervous features softened somewhat. "Maiko..." she breathed. Her hand twitched up but dropped immediately.

Zuko smiled. "You can touch him. He won't break."

"My hands are dirty," the girl muttered, her tone one of rough-discomfort. "He's a _prince_."

"You touch _kings_ with your dirty hands, Toph," Zuko chided. He shifted Maiko into the crook of his left arm, easily cradling him there as he reached for one of her _dirty_ hands. He snatched it up and placed it against his son's chubby cheek. "Here. _Look at him._"

Slowly, Toph began to stroke the baby's face, tracing the soft curve of his jaw (to which he giggled charmingly), his nose, his brow. She sucked in a breath as she explored his features. Suddenly, her fingers were trapped by tiny, pumping fists. Toph smiled.

"He's beautiful, Zuko. And I 'see' what you meant, earlier," she began, her face and voice as near to serene as the young Firelord had ever witnessed. She gently tugged the fingers of one hand free of the little prince's grasp. "He gets his _charm_ from you, yes." She reached up and palmed his face, smiling brightly. "But he gets his _looks_ from his mother..."

Zuko beamed and Toph released him.

Ty-Lee appeared at his shoulder, peering down at the little boy in his father's arms. "I think he gets more than just his looks from Mai. He's got her, uh... _quiet _temperament, too."

Zuko regarded the boy, choking on a laugh when he saw Toph's drool-slathered fingers still in Maiko's possession.

"Mai," Toph stated dryly, finally succeeding in freeing all of her fingers. "Never went _this_ far..."

Ty-Lee giggled as she wiped the earth-bender's fingers with a burping-rag.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, this chapter didn't _exactly _go the way I wanted it to. Eh, well... Tell me what you think. Is it getting stupid/cheesy/unoriginal?

To those who are 'fans' of my _Repo! _or _Daria_ fics and have me on AuthorAlert, I apologize. _Daria: The College Years _is temporarily experiencing technical difficulties (due to ALL of those files being on a currently dead computer) BUT an update for _Change the World _is in the making!


	4. Chapter 3: Night

_The Lost Books of Avatar_

Chapter 3: Night

By: Farren O'Blivion

The city was quiet at this time of night. Firelord Zuko sighed deeply, breathing in the scent of jasmine and magnolia blossoms prevalent throughout his uncle's garden. He closed his eyes, tipped his face toward the moon, let the light play against his lids.

They had arrived in Ba Sing Se at sundown after a day's flight on Appa. Uncle Iroh had been happy to return to his teashop, The Jade Dragon, known for its most excellent selection of teas and rousing Pi-Sho tournaments. The Gaang had dined (Sokka had feasted) in companionable comfort, memories of times passed flowing through their minds and mouths and hearts. They spoke of Mai, of the days they had spent here, in Iroh's shop, shortly after the War had finally ended. Here, they had met Mai as a fellow companion; they had released their suspicion and distrust of her in the name of peace, and perhaps as a favor to the newly crowned Firelord.

Zuko found that his heart still gave an aching squeeze at every mention of her name, but the stabbing pain, the overwhelming sense of loss and abandonment was... lessened somewhat in the company of his friends.

Now, the others were in bed, Iroh's and Sokka's snores raising an unholy cacophony, and Zuko stood alone on a fourth floor balcony. He sighed again.

_Oh, Mai. I miss you. _He opened his eyes and stared at the moon. _I miss your face, Mai... But then I just look at our son and my heart suddenly feels featherlight. I—I'm sorry I haven't... spoken to you in awhile. I just... Well, anyway... _He placed his forearms on the stone balustrade of the balcony, his eyes trailing from the moon to the city below. _Ty-Lee is doing better, but she's still not ready to go back to Kyoshi Island yet. She's been serving as a bodyguard for Mother. Unnecessary but it gives her purpose... The Gaang misses you. Uncle, too... Toph especially... I think she misses you as much as I do, Mai. _In the distance, from this vantage point, he could pick out the glow of several torches surrounding a fountain.

Suddenly, the still night air was pierced by a cry louder than the combined roar of snores. Zuko's mouth crooked up in a smile and he turned to go inside. But then the crying stopped, abrupt, unexplained. His heart kicked up in his chest, fear for his son's safety gripped him. Assassins in Ba Sing Se? The remnants of the Dai Li? Hard as it was to believe, not everyone was satisfied with how the War ended.

Zuko palmed a fireball behind his back and silently slunk toward the entranceway to his bedroom. There was a white gauzy curtain hanging there to keep out unwanted pests and through it, Zuko could make out a dark shape, a person... an intruder.

Where was his son? The fireball heightened in temperature with that stab of panic. _Where was Maiko?_

"It's no use sneaking up on me, you know," the intruder said and Zuko's fireball extinguished as he recognized the voice, relief coursing through him. He pulled the curtain aside to reveal Toph, cradling Baby Maiko in her arms. She smiled at him. "_I see all._"

"I'm sure," he teased. "I thought you'd gone to bed, Toph."

She shrugged. "I did."

He frowned as he approached her. There were dark circles under her eyes. "Something wrong?"

She shrugged again and handed Maiko over to him before slouching over to plop down on his bed. Apparently, that was answer enough. Zuko began to prepare a bottle for Maiko, one-handed, but already experienced at such a feat. Toph watched him through her toes.

As he worked, it suddenly occurred to him that his earlier words to Mai might have been more than accurate; Toph missed her just as much as he did. So perhaps Toph felt just as alone as Zuko did, and perhaps her pain lessened in the company of friends, just as Zuko's did.

It explained why she was in his room at such a late hour. She was here for comfort but, being Toph, could not ask for it. She was rather like Maiko; only able to send out signs of what she needed or wanted, utterly incapable of speech.

_She's been strong for so long, _he thought to himself as he began to feed the baby in his arms. He suckled greedily, wide amber eyes staring up at his father, a pudgy fist tangled in the fold of a crimson robe. _Proving herself to the world... And now, with Mai gone, being strong for me, being **there **for me... Oh, she must be so exhausted._

He turned to her and saw that she'd lain back on his bed, arms spread wide and high above her head, sightless eyes closed. Was she sleeping?

"Toph?" he called softly, unwilling to wake her if she were.

Silence. Just as he began to shuffle away she sighed. "What is it, Sparky?"

"Oh. Well, I was just wondering if..." He trailed off uncertainly. What if she hadn't come for company? What if she'd come simply because she'd heard Maiko crying?

She waited patiently for about two seconds before demanding, "Wondering what? Spit it out!"

Zuko tugged the now empty bottle away from his son and placed it on a side-table. "I was wondering" (he positioned Maiko on his shoulder and began gently patting his back) "whether you'd mind... staying in here tonight."

Maiko burped and spat up just a smidgen of white goo onto his father's shoulder before gurgling happily and shoving his fist into his mouth. Zuko put him to bed and turned to find Toph sitting stiff and straight on the edge of his bed, brow furrowed and milky stare directed right at him.

"In here with you?" she asked suspiciously. Zuko cringed, knowing full well what the young earth-bender was thinking. He hadn't meant for it to come out _that _way.

"I—I just thought you'd like some company," he clarified, running a hand through his hair and sighing. "Aang and Uncle are right down the hall, but it's not the same. I don't much like being alone at night now. I mean, I have Maiko, but... Nighttime is the worst. During the day, everyone is awake and talking and I can... _force _myself to forget, you know? Just get lost in it all... But at night, when everyone and everything is quiet and I don't know what's worse; being here without her or being at home without—"

"_Sparky_," Toph's voice was rough as she cut in. "_You're rambling_."

Zuko smiled.

* * *

**A/N: **Good? Bad? ...Ugly? :P

Let me know what you think.


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